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“I don’t know,” he cried. “He was supposed to be here this morning. He said he was going to protect me.”
“You are dumber than you look.” Warren pinned him with an ominous glare. A terrified look came into the other man’s eyes. “Easy or hard?”
“Please, I have a wife.”
“That left you last week because you are a worthless piece of shit. She is young and hot. Your wife will have no problem finding a new meal ticket. Face it, no one is coming to save you.”
Snot dripped from his nose as he blubbered. Warren waited for the switch to flip. By all accounts, this guy was a master manipulator. Everyone believed he was an unassuming, pocket protector wearing, allergic to everything, cannot go outside during the day, numbers geek. Everyone would have been wrong. Warren watched as the man went from pleading and weeping to cold and calculating.
When he lunged for a knife on the counter, Warren was faster. He grabbed a skillet from the rack hanging above the island. Bringing it down swiftly, a sickening crunch sounded throughout the room when it met the back of the accountant’s head. The front of his head smashed against the marble countertop, and his body crumpled to the floor.
“Not a scratch,” Brooks whistled, strolling into the room. “What kind of marble do you suppose that is?”
“The kind that will get the Cubans a very nice profit when they sell the house to get their money back.”
“It’s a good kind,” he nodded.
“Get what we need?”
“Oh yeah,” Brooks laughed. “You were right. Everything the wife had was costume. His stuff was all real.”
“Asshole.”
Warren scowled at the dead man on the floor. His neck was twisted at an odd angle, and the back of his head was caved in. It was no less than he deserved. He knew the world he was getting into when he started working for the business. There were steep consequences for stealing, and there were a limited number of breaths you were allowed to take after harming someone close to them.
“Let’s go.”
Brooks led the way. Warren’s mind was sorting through what the accountant said. Something wasn’t right. At the last minute, Warren turned around and headed back into the kitchen. Patting down the body, he found what he was looking for. The man was wearing a wire. Everything was recorded. It wasn’t the sophisticated models most people use today. Nothing could be transmitted or uploaded to whoever set him up. This one was old school. The only thing it could do was record what was said and store it in the device tucked in the belt of his pants. Warren shut the device off and stuffed it in his pocket. He motioned for Brooks to be quiet and pointed at the body.
Warren latched onto the accountant’s leg and dragged him toward the back of the house. Exiting through the glass doors, he headed for the pool. Warren dragged the body behind him until they were beside the clear blue water. One good shove had the mark tumbling into the water. The blue water tinted red as the body floated for a moment and then started to sink.
“Toaster in the sink.”
“Works for me.” Brooks walked back into the house to take out power in the kitchen.
The accountant’s words filtered through his mind. Warren was called here to be drawn out. The stalker was either very brave or incredibly stupid. He could debate the possibilities later. Right now, he had to call in reinforcements. Since his crew was on lockdown, there was only one call to make. He tapped the button to make the call.
“There was a complication,” he said in lieu of a greeting. “A third party has entered the picture and will soon be exposed as a nonissue. I need a clean-up crew and a full sweep. The kitchen power has been taken out. Start there.”
He listened for a moment before responding. “One more thing. There is a kid driving a delivery truck. Give him a job down at the docks. He is good. He keeps his mouth shut and his head down.”
Warren chuckled. “Yeah, I’ll have the office give you a discount since you have to use your cleaning crew.”
The power went off as Warren walked back into the house. Brooks met him at the kitchen door with two cameras in his hand. They fell into step side by side until they reached the front door. Cautiously peeking out, they saw the same quiet neighborhood as before. Nothing changed as they stood and watched.
Walking silently to the truck, they got in, and Warren drove away. They lumbered down the street until they came to the rental car. Warren’s lips twitched when he confirmed his suspicions. The young driver was sleeping in the air conditioning.
“You get him a job?”
“Cubans will hire him on,” Warren confirmed.
Warren tapped on the window. The kid jumped before he recognized them. Wiping a hand over his face, he unlocked the door and got out.
“Sorry about that. It was cool. I fell asleep.”
“Not a problem. Here,” Brooks handed him a stack of cash and a velvet bag. “We were a little longer than we planned.”
The kid looked at his watch and paled. “I am so getting fired.”
